Of Dark and Light, Where the Wind Never Blows
by Mooncheese
Summary: Kay, daughter of Hermione Granger has never known her real father. She doesn't fit with her easy going mother, or her dopey step-dad, Ron. And she isn't exactly your average Gryffindor either. When she goes to Hogwarts, she will never fit in- or will she?
1. Default Chapter

Kay stared at the screen before her, taking in the empty space with bemused eyes. Playing idly with a spring of ringletly hair, she allowed her fingers to hover aimlessly over the buttons for a moment, then began to type, slowly at first, then gradually getting quicker and quicker, her hands flying deftly over the keyboard until they transformed into blurs. However, as soon as she started, she was forced to stop, as a lean, willowy woman at the door poked her head in, laughing lightly at her.  
  
Kay stopped and scowled at her mum, subtly turning the computer screen so the writing on it was hidden. Her mother, however, didn't miss a beat, and only stepped into the room. She had long since grown used to her daughters immense privacy issues, and had also long since accepted them. She only smiled as Kay frowned at her, and leant against the wall.  
  
"What d'you want, Mum?" snapped Kay in a voice of long-suffering, but it didn't really have an effect on Hermione. Looking at her there, Kay could see why lots of people thought they looked alike, but she could never understand why they thought they were similar. Hermione's hair seemed to form some kind of explosion, frizzy curls sticking out at all angles, whereas Kay's hair, although curly, formed more smooth, controlled ringlets that tumbled down her back. Hermione had dark brown eyes that much resembled those of a puppy-dogs, but Kay had stormy, grey blue eyes that glared at you fiercely. She was always very defensive and snappy at anyone and everything, and seemed to never of inherited her mum's easy going nature. In the cold light of day, the two were nothing alike.  
  
"Just wanted to check that I still have a daughter, hon" sighed her mum wearily, raising an eyebrow at her.  
  
"Well, you've checked, so can you _go_ now?" Kay snapped, and turned back to her computer. "I've got things to do." Her mum turned and left without a word, but Kay didn't continue typing. She sat there, reading and re-reading what she'd written so far over and over, a mere three lines. Then she sighed exasperatedly and deleted it all. There was no point in keeping it. No-one could understand.  
  
Meanwhile downstairs in the kitchen, her mum had started to cry into her boyfriends shoulder, Kay's step-dad.  
  
"I tried to talk to her" she was whispering into the strong arms of Ron, who seemed to be fighting back the tears as well "But she- she's so defensive! Won't let anyone get near her! She re-reminds me of- him!"  
  
Ron swallowed two or three times before asking in a tremulous voice "Who, 'Mione? Who this time?"  
  
Hermione's face screwed up, holding her breath, then she let it out hoarsely and breathed "I can't remember. I can't remember his name! I can barely remember what he looks like, Merlin help me! I can't remember the name of my little girls father!" Then sobs were crawling out of her mouth and she cried wretchedly, biting her knuckles in desperation, allowing the tears to trek their short life down her cheeks before plopping into her lap and clenched fists. She cried tears of anger, guilt, and self pity, her normally happy eyes squeezed closed. Ron gently took her hand from her mouth, but she strained against him. She needed the pain, help her, she needed the pain to remind her she wasn't all but an empty shell, feeling nothing but misery. Before Ron had come into her life, she had always felt she was stuck in a dark pit, dead end in a maze that simply revolved in a circle, no way out, no way in. All she had had was Kay, who seemed to be in another maze of her own, a maze that revolved differently from everyone else's. Then, out of the blue, Ron had appeared, wonderful, life saving Ron. He had taken her hand and guided her into sense of direction, one of almost peace. He was still there now, clutching her hand, promising he would never leave her. But what kept drawing her back to her dark hole was Kay.  
  
"Hermione? Please don't cry. You'll make me cry!" Ron's sweet, dopey face came into her line of vision, and she smiled weakly. From somewhere in the depths of her memory she recalled a hard, muscled chest, and strong arms encircling her, drawing her closer, further, deeper... Flash. She was looking into a pair of proud grey eyes across the room, her knees were weakening just seeing them... Flash. A gentle, masculine voice was murmuring words of love and happiness into her ear, the feeling of someone rubbing her arms was shooting tingles up her spine... Flash. She was holding baby Kay in her arms, screaming at someone to come back, nurses were staring and whispering but she couldn't care less, tears were flooding down her cheeks as she watched an anonymous shadow slip out through the door, and no matter how hard she screamed she knew he wasn't coming back... Flash. She was looking back into Ron's distressed blue eyes now, back to reality. He was shaking her gently, pleading her to talk to him, but his voice sounded muffled and far away. She looked at him and knew she loved him, but somewhere in her heart a voice was telling her she had once loved someone more than him, with a love that burned with all the passion in her soul. He must never know this. It would kill him.  
  
"I'm ok, babe," she whispered throatily, though she knew she was anything but. It didn't matter. As long as she could pretend, it was ok.  
  
Upstairs, still at the computer Kay buried her face in her hands, yet her strong ocean eyes remained dry. She was a whole lot stronger than her mother, she knew, and had always considered crying a weakness, perhaps because Hermione did it such a lot. She also knew a lot of things she wasn't supposed to know. She knew Ron wasn't her real father. Merlin, even if she hadn't found her birth certificate when she was nine she would of known that. She only had to take one look in the mirror to know she wasn't a Weasley. Then she knew she was a witch. A pretty damn powerful one at that too, but she had to conceal her powers from her mother carefully, because she would be shocked and appalled to find out what her precious little girl could do. She didn't need a wand. She scorned them, pathetic pieces of wood to be waved around stupidly in the air like some kind of toy! Her eleven year old mind told her that this wasn't natural, that most witches had wands as a necessity, not a toy, but then an older, deeper part of herself told her not to worry. She was different. Always had been, always would be. It was the way she was.  
  
Swinging her legs over the back of her chair, she stood up, and regarded herself in the mirror. It made her skin crawl when people remarked she looked 'Just like Hermione', even though she could see the resemblance. At first glance, she could be her mothers twin. At a second glance they looked slightly different. At third they could be strangers.  
  
She crossed the room, heading for the window, and stared out over the rooftops. It was a pretty suburban area where she lived, but so ordinary. So pathetically muggle. Looking over into her neighbours garden, she watched as their little girl, Helen, raced round with their dog Bertie, shrieking in her horrible high pitched childish tone, the sound cutting through the peaceful autumn air. It made Kay shudder in disgust to think that one day after Ron and her mums baby was born, she might have a brother or a sister like that. Yeuch. No thanks, she murmured, smiling a little as Helen tripped over the dogs paw and now lay howling on the grass, her fat little legs waving in the air like branches in the wind.  
  
She could picture Hermione's face if she told her she knew she was pregnant. Oh, Kay knew, and she had known for a long time. She had known before Hermione herself had been 100% sure, since the very first time she had thrown up in the morning. She had spotted the plump little bulge forming on her mums stomach, and knew that Hermione would have to come to tell her soon. Sometimes it made Kay's mind buzz by knowing all these things, sometimes it gave her a faint sense of pride.  
  
She drew away from the window, and bent before her snakes tank, gazing in at those glistening golden coils with reverence and respect shining in her eyes. Sensing her, the snake drew up its sharp, angular head and poked out its forked tongue, testing the air for food. Clever, black eyes regarded her for a moment, then sunk back down into its leaves, drawing itself into a submissive pose, flickering its tongue wickedly at her. She pointed her own tongue back out at her, hissing faintly as she did. An exchange of greetings, though sometimes she wished she knew what her snake was really saying. But her instincts told her this was a power she could never learn, and she accepted it.  
  
A sudden clatter of talons on the windowsill made her look up sharply. She let out a faint low hiss as a magnificent eagle owl flapped its wings at her, craving attention, then stuck out its leg. She could see from here the paper tied round it, and she crossed over to it, deft fingers unravelling it. The moment it was released of its burden, the owl turned and glided away, obviously anxious to escape the snakes penetrating gaze, and Kay looked at the envelope in her hand. She raised her eyebrows in surprise at the address.  
  
Miss Kay Granger. 8 Pursley Gardens. Little Whinging. Smallest Bedroom. Snake Tank.  
  
She glanced up at Sarwin, which was what she usually called her snake, and looked back at envelope. Should she get her mother, she wondered, or Ron? No. That was not a good idea. This she could handle herself. Taking a deep breath she slit the seal on the other side and slid out the contents, biting her lip slightly. She shook open the letter impatiently, then relaxed at what she read. No surprise. Her Hogwarts letter. She'd been expecting it for a while, but what was she going to tell Hermione? Hermione, who didn't know that she already knew she was a witch? Deciding to take the bull by its horns at once, she whipped round and jogged down the stairs, keeping the letter with her.  
  
She halted at the closed kitchen door, biting her lip again. She knew what a closed door meant. Her mother was crying. No point in closing the door really. She tried to push it open, but it refused to give way, and she ground her teeth in rage. Why were they pushing her out? She was still a part of her mothers life! Clenching the parchment in a ball she shouted out "Mother, OPEN THIS DOOR!"  
  
It flew open immediately, but it wasn't Hermione, it was Ron. She looked up at him in distaste. She didn't know why Hermione used to tell her he was her Daddy, it was as clear as clear could be he didn't want her around.  
  
He looked at her in obvious annoyance "Mum's a bit upset," he told her in a low voice "I don't think she'll appreciate being yelled at!"  
  
Kay glared at him. God, he was so frustrating! Not even bothering with a reply, she shoved roughly past him, ducking under his arms, and ran nimbly towards her soggy wreck of a mum.  
  
"K-Kay" her Mum attempted a weak smile, but failed miserably "Wh-what's up?"  
  
Kay looked at her in distress. No matter how many times she was snappy and defensive around Hermione, she really couldn't stand to see her cry, and she stood by her side, silently giving her the letter, and she took it with an almost limp hand. She only had to read the first line to smile and hug her daughter, telling her she was so glad she was a witch, and she knew it would be a shock but not to worry, she would love it at Hogwarts once she settled in.  
  
Kay let it all wash over her, her mind going into overdrive. Suddenly she realised just what it meant, being accepted to Hogwarts, leaving home, leaving Hermione. Then she looked round her and smiled. She wouldn't miss this place one bit. This was her dream, to go somewhere and be her own person, away from her suffocating mother, away from nosy and unbearable Ron. She hugged her mother back for the first time in months, and couldn't help but grin.  
  
This was going to be quite a year.  
  
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Well, that was unexpected! I'd love a review, really I would, I only need one person to tell me its ok and I'll write another chapter! Or maybe I'll write one anyway. Whatever. Please review! Muffins to you if you do! 


	2. Chime

YAAAAAY! 3 REVIEWS! That was all the encouragement I needed! And, yes, Kay is a bit of an oddity, but that's who she is, OK?  
  
Chapter Two  
  
Kay glanced round as she stepped onto Platform 9 & 3/4, for once in her life feeling totally astounded. Never had she felt so much magic surrounding her, enveloping her. It was the first breath of life. She suddenly felt she had the energy to run a thousand miles, swim across a hundred lakes and leap over 50 valleys. The busy crowd swarmed round her, jostling her this way and that, but she resisted against them. Who cared about getting in the way? This was... well, magical.  
  
She had had this feeling before, but never as strongly. Her mother had the magic scent coming off her as well, but Ron had a stronger one. She supposed this was because he was from a pureblood family, though why Sarwin gave off a similar smell was inexplicable. Remembering her snake, Kay gently touched her cage to check she was still there, then sighed. A whole new world had opened up to her, and already she felt comfortable with it.  
  
"Have a great time!"  
  
Kay looked round, attracted by a woman's high pitched, emotional squeal, and suppressed a grin as she watched a highly embarrassed teen being hugged by his mum. He was struggling frantically against her, but her arms were like pythons, crushing him in his every attempted escape.  
  
"Mum" he was muttering, his ears going scarlet "Mum, leave me alone! It's my second year, you promised you wouldn't make such a big fuss like you did last year!"  
  
His mother only responded with a huge, slobbery kiss on the cheek, and Kay winced in sympathy. She only hoped her mum wouldn't act like that, and upon thinking that, she looked round expectantly, searching for flaming red hair and a frizzy brown one in the crush. She spotted a tall, lanky frame, and reluctantly squeezed her way towards it. Ron had his back to her, and she tried shouting out several times, but he didn't turn round. Growling in frustration, she shoved roughly through a gang of gossiping girls, and tugged his sleeve.  
  
"Ron!" she snapped, then stopped abruptly as a total stranger swung round, glaring hard at her. This wasn't Ron at all! From the front, he looked nothing like him, this stranger had horn rimmed glasses and an irritable expression.  
  
"I- I'm sorry, wrong person!" she gasped, and hurriedly dived back into the crowd, but the man called out "No! Wait!"  
  
Kay sighed. Trust her to mistake her step dad for a pervert! She couldn't exactly ignore him though, and spinning back round, she called out "What?"  
  
The man looked her over closely, and Kay stepped back, hating his penetrating stare immediately. Just as she was about to run for it, a familiar voice yelped out "Percy!"  
  
The man snapped his head up at once, looking over her head. "Ron!" he called back, smiling jovially, and whipping round, Kay saw Ron dashing through a gap in the people, tugging Hermione along with him by the hand. She too was smiling and waving, though not at her. Kay felt deeply confused: what was going on?  
  
When her parents reached the 'stranger', Ron hugged him like a brother. Ok, so evidently, they knew him. They hugged each other hard, then it was Hermione's turn, though her hug was a little more awkward.  
  
"Percy!" she gasped, a little short of breath, "What are you doing here? We haven't seen you for years!"  
  
'Percy' and Ron stood side by side, and then Kay clicked. Same red hair, same lanky frame, and (now that Percy was smiling) almost the same facial features. They were quite clearly brothers.  
  
"I was just seeing off my little girl!" he said, and looked round, bemused "I would introduce you, but she's off somewhere with her mother."  
  
"Ah, little Tuppence! How old is she now?"  
  
"Fourteen."  
  
"Fourteen! Good Merlin, don't they grow fast! Last time I saw her she was _this_ high!"  
  
Kay groaned under her breath, and gazed longingly at the Hogwarts express. So near yet so far to freedom... Only a couple of steps... if she wanted to she could run in there now, and no-one would notice... She had even started edging away from the little knot of adults, then jumped out of her skin when Percy pointed her out.  
  
"This one yours then Ron? You never told me you had a daughter!"  
  
An awkward silence filled the air, and Kay shuffled her feet. God, she hated it when this kind of question arose. She looked away like she hadn't heard, staring unseeingly at the squabbling girls, who were comparing shades of eye shadow. Then she heard Hermione say those blessed words: "Kay, why don't you hop on the train? It's going in two minutes." Then strong arms wrapped round her from behind, and her mum whispered in her ear "Have a great year. Don't forget to Owl us when you get there!"  
  
Kay nodded and hugged her briefly, said bye to Ron and nodded to Percy, who was looking completely baffled. "Was it something I said?" she heard him say confusedly as she left.  
  
Yes, it bloody was something you said.  
  
She was only too glad to heave her luggage on the train, away from the tense atmosphere, and managed to forget for a while that she was a brat, and had never known her father. She chose an empty compartment at the very end of the train, preferring solitude to company. She had always wanted time on her own more than anything else, as she had never been much of a socialist.  
  
Finally, she was on her own, she could relax! She slid the door closed behind her, and heaved a great sigh, then dumped all her baggage on the floor, stretching her aching arms. Jees, that stuff was heavy! She heard a hiss of indignation, and bent down to see Sarwin, who was glaring at her in rage at being dropped bodily to the ground.  
  
"Sorry Sar" she whispered, and unlatched the door. The great gold snake slithered out at once, stretching almost as happily as she had done. After circling the space three times, she finally chose a corner to curl up in, regarding her with intelligent black eyes. Kay grinned back at her, then kicked off her shoes, curled up on a window seat and produced a tattered paper back.  
  
She settled down comfortably, and began to read, her eyes flicking quickly from line to line, moving steadily down the page. After about 5 minutes of tense reading, her entire posture started to relax as she became totally engrossed in her book. She wasn't here any more, she had been dipped into another place entirely, and every now and then her eyes would widen or narrow, her breathing taking deep, calming breaths. Sarwin too settled down, her head resting on her coils. Peace lay as thick as snow on the room, both inhabitants lost in their own world.  
  
What happened next both annoyed and frustrated Kay right to her core. Anyone who has ever day dreamed knows the feeling of irritation when someone jerks you out of a lovely thought, by clicking their fingers at you or otherwise. What happened to Kay was that someone happened to fling open the door, causing a terrific 'BANG' as it hit the wall, and someone strode in, then stumbled over her abandoned luggage, cursing loudly. Kay was immediately sucked straight out of her mystery story, and brought back to harsh, cold reality, where someone was hopping round the room clutching their foot. Needless to say, she was not best pleased.  
  
"Sorry! My fault! Didn't know someone was in- BLOODY HELL! A SNAKE!" The person had just noticed Sarwin, who also was extremely annoyed, and snapping irritably at the persons ankles. Obviously, she meant no harm in doing so, but the girl wasn't to know this.  
  
"She's mine," announced Kay coolly, looking the girl over, who was now cowering against the wall. She was short and stocky, and had waist length blue-black hair. "And her bite isn't poisonous, so there's no need to look so scared."  
  
The girl glared at her snappy tone, then plopped down into the seat opposite her, keeping her feet well drawn up out of Sarwin's reach all the same. Kay raised her eyebrows, then snorted slightly and buried her nose in her book again. Or at least that's what she tried to do. The fact was she was very aware of the girl staring at her, staring and staring. She just couldn't take in a word she read, and eventually she snapped it closed (after taking careful note of the page), and stared back at her. The girl didn't blink, or look away, abashed. She continued her steady staring, her eyes boring right into Kay's ones. She had very dark eyes, she noted, almost black, just like Sarwin's. They were even narrowed slightly at the corners, like Sarwin's were, giving her a very snake-like appearance, which went down a storm with Kay, as she loved snakes more than anything. She also had very pale skin, almost deathly pale, like paper, making her dark hair and eyes stand out even more.  
  
"What's your name?" asked the girl, after several minutes had gone by of silent staring. Kay didn't bat an eyelid, though she felt rather odd, with the girl staring at her like that. It almost felt her mind was being probed. After considering for a moment, she replied "Scorch Mayine." Which was a total lie, but she wanted to see how the girl would react to this.  
  
Silence. The girl furrowed her brow, then replied with a deadpan face "Cool. Mine's Chime. Chime O'Door."  
  
Both of them knew each others names were false. But from that moment onwards they called each other Scorch and Chime, and quickly became, to Kay's surprise, brilliant friends. Best friends, one might even say.  
  
She smiled. She had always thought 'best friends' only ever existed in the stories she read. But now she knew they were real.  
  
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Urugh, what a smooshy ending! Sorry! Oh yeah, and Chime was stuck for a last name and the door was the first thing she looked at ok? Please review! Oh yeah, and triple chocolate muffins to bleeding-roses for a lovely review! Bye bye for now, and remember always have faith. In the power of reviews! (Dun, dun DUN!) 


	3. Death by Squid

Hi guys! Sorry this took so long. This has all been typed on on Notepad which does not have a spell check, so I'm sorry if there are any mistakes. My laptop has stopped connecting to the Internet, and as that has Word and my comp doesn't... well you get the picture. There are a few words that I just don't know how to spell (for eg: Sillouette.) s there will be some mistakes. I have no Beta as of yet, so for now you will have to put up with my mistakes. Sorry. Pip pip xxx   
  
Chapter Three  
  
"Well, this could turn out strangely."  
  
Kay turned and glanced at Chime, and saw she was kneeling by the side of the boat, staring into the smooth, crystalline depths of the lake. Which was rather odd, as currantly everyone else was gazing up at the huge, magnificent castle silloutted against the ink-black sky with their mouths open, taking in how beautiful and imposing it was, bla de bla. The two other people they were sharing a boat with tutted loudly, casting annoyed looks over at Kay, as she rocked the boat in order to look over the edge, and obviously ruining their moment. Kay ignored them.  
  
"What is it?" she whispered, staring down into the glassy surface of the lake. Her own face gazed back at her, skin glowing eerily milky whie and eyes nothing but two dark pits beneath her hairline. Just above her reflection, she spotted the half moon, sailing high above the clouds with an almost regal air. Entranced, she stretched out an arm to dip her fingers into the liquid mirror, but to her suprise Chime caught her wrist half way and pulled it back.   
  
"What are you doing?" she snapped, wrenching her wrist away violently, making the boat shudder and jump once more. A loud, "Do you MIND?" came from the seats oppasite. Kay gave them a sarcastic smile.  
  
"Oh, terribly sorry chums!" she chirped falsely, then turned back to Chime, who raised an eyebrow at her.  
  
"What? They were annoying me!"  
  
"No-one ever teach you how to say sorry politely?"  
  
Kay poked her tongue out at her, causing another outburst of tutting and muttering from the other two. "Really! How childish!" and, "A right little brat, that one!" was clearly heard. Kay blinked. No-one had ever insulted her before, and the brat comment caught her unawares, throwing her entirely. She swallowed, averting her gaze to the floor. Chime tapped her on the wrist.  
  
"Look overboard!"  
  
Leaping at the chance to turna way from the kids still muttering and giggling to each other, Kay turned and looked over. Her blank eyes didn't see the galaxy of stars mirrored beneath her again, or her weiredly distorted reflection. The word 'brat' simply rang in her head over and over, and her eyes blurred over. Biting the inside of her cheek hard, she looked back to the water.  
  
She gasped. Beneath the surface, something moved. Allowing her eyes to see past the reflections, she saw a huge dark shape suddenly dart from under the boat. she bit her cheek harder. What in the world was it?   
  
"Watch this," Chime muttered, and let her fingers dabble in the water, stirring up ripples. The shape moved. Kays eyes widened. A long, thin end of a tentacle rose in the air, wriggling in the frosty wind. It turned, then shot out towards Chime, quick as a snake, strong as a bull. In a flash she withdrew her hand, gripping it with her fingers. The tentacle flapped about for a moment, then slowly sank back down.   
  
Kay was gaping. "What the hell is it?" she hissed, and Chime grinned at her.  
  
"No idea. Pretty cool though, huh?"  
  
It struck Kay that there was nothing cool about sticking your fingers into the unknown, but she chewed her lip and refrained from saying so. Chime seemed quite overly happy about her 'discovery' and was wiping her hands on her robes, mumbling to herself. The girls were still glaring over at them both, especially Kay, but made no more comments. Silence began, only broken byt the occasional outburst of laughter from their neighbouring boat, who's party seemed to be enjoying themselves, and the waves slapping against the sides as the water turned suddenly quite choppy.  
  
Kay threw back her head to gaze up at the castle. It was looming over them now, frowning down in a way that suggested it didn't want them there at all. Her stomach leapt. Her heart thumped. Then quite suddenly, without warning a terrific lurch from the boat sent them all flying forwards, heads snapping back. She screamed in suprise as a a massive tentacle, thick as a tree trunk wrapped itself round the other end of the boat, pulling it under, and with a smack all four of them hit the water. Almost instantly though, her knees bit into gravel and a stinging spray of lake water shot into her eyes. All around her she heard screaming, splashing. All was confusion. From somewhere far off she thought she heard laughter.  
  
"Chime!" she hissed, dragging up her friend from the shallow water, coughing and spluttering, "What did you do!"  
  
"Me? It wasn't ME!" she coughed indignantly, trying to stop herself from choking. She looked over at the other boats, all of whom were killing themselves laughing. "I'm glad you bloody find it funny!" she shouted at them. This however, failed to shut them up but only made them laugh harder.   
  
The gigantic man, leader of the flock of boats, stepped out of his boat as easily as though it were muggle car and was splashing his way worridly towards them. Kay looked up at him. Certainly there was a lot to look up at, this man had a wild grey tangle of a beard, and his hair was exactly the same. A tattered mole skin coat stretched over his enormous belly, and beneath the stone grey hair a pair of anxious black eyes peered at them.  
  
"Yeh all all righ'?" he blustered, and offered his hand to Chime, who took it more than a little nervously. He grabbed her whole arm and yanked her to her feet with such force she was nearly pulled straight over again.  
  
"Oops! Sorry!" the man glanced round and held out another huge hand to Kay, who hesitated then grabbed it.   
  
"It musta' bin the giant Squid I s'pose," he boomed, as he helped up the other two girls then floundered out to the upside down boat, "Dunno why he would do that though. He's normally quite 'armless. Oh well," here he sighed as he picked up the boat as though it was made of feathers, "No use cryin' over upturned boats!" He waded back to them.   
  
Shivering, Kay looked round. Now many of the students had climbed out and were standing on land, sniggering shrilly at them. She scowled menacingly, all to aware of being up to her knees in water, then started hauling Chime up to the gravel-y land.  
  
"I don't inderstand," Chime whispered as they all began trooping up the crunchy bank, their sodden robes flapping icy cold round their legs, "Why would a squid do that to us?"  
  
"Does it really matter at this point in time?" she hissed back, feeling her stomach roll and curl up again as they approached two sturdy oak doors, "Think about it later!"  
  
The man raised a clenched fist and hammered on the door. They all winced as the loud booms echoed and re-echoed into the castle then, as promply as a jack-in-the-box they were flung open. Many gasped. A few, like Kay, were simply rendered speechless.   
  
A young woman stood before them. After the dull colours of the lake, subtle greens and browns of the forest they passed and the gloom of the night, she was a shock to the eye. Kay's eyes watered slightly but she kept them wide open. The vision merged into a rainbow of colours. She blinked. They swam back into focus.  
  
The woman who stood before them had violent, electrifying robes on in stinging shades of turquoise, magenta and ruby. Her hair was a deep, plum purple and elbow length, in odd, messy curls, secured roughly with blue clips in the shape of roses. She smiled, a strange mysterious smile that magnified the dreamy, far-away look in her eye, her rainbow robes billowing around her.  
  
"Welcome," she said mistily, "To Hogwarts."  
  
They all gaped wordlessly at her. Kay was vaguely aware of the huge mans beard twitching.   
  
"I'll leave 'em in your capable hands, Proffesor."  
  
"Thank you Hagrid," she whispered, her voice barely audible against the wind. She swept her gaze over them as Hagrid stumped away. "Come on in."  
  
They all hastened to do as she said. Kay scrutinised the woman carefully. She did not seem particually stern or strict. On the contrary she walked as though she was aiming for no where in particular, as though she had just popped out for an evening stroll. They all trailed behind in her dreamy wake, throwing each other odd looks and stifling giggles. She must of heard them, especially when one boy could hold it in no longer and snorted with explosive laughter and couldn't seem to stop. This automaically sent everyone into chuckles, until all their shoulders were shaking with supressed mirth. Still she wandered on, no obvious change in her stance, shaking back her curls. Kay thoguht she caught a trace of blond in the roots, but couldn't be sure.  
  
Finally she swung round, startling them all and making the first few people leap back. She smiled her beautiful smile again and spoke in dreamy tones.  
  
"You have all been accepted into Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and wizardry beacause you all possess magical talent. Here in this building we will take this talent and develop it as you grow, and by the time you leave here you will be fully fledged witches and wizards. Listen carefully to your Proffessors as they are there only to help your education, or you may regret it in later life."  
  
She took a breath and glanced over her shoulder.  
  
"You will all be divided up into 4 houses today, judging by your abilities and skills. They are Hufflepuff, Slytherin, Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. Each is an honourable hose to belong to. Each has a head of house. I myself am head of Ravenclaw, so you will see a lot of me if you are sorted into Ravenclaw, but judging by the amount of time Proffesor Longbottom has off you will see a fair amount of me in Gryffindor house as well." Frowning, she ran a hand through her curls, pulling at her scalp as though the idea bothered her a lot. The next second the expression was gone however, and she stood up straight again, misty smile back in place.  
  
"We now go into the Sorting Ceremony. Come along." She turned and strode across the magnificent chamber, the crowd hastily following behind. Chime's eyes were wide as she caught Kay's arm, who looked at her in suprise.   
  
"Scorch!" she croaked, forcing her to stop, "I don't want to go through with this!"  
  
Kay looked at her in astonishment. "Go through with what? We're only being sorted into houses!"  
  
"God dammit! Didn't you hear them behind us? Its a test, a really hard physical test! If we don't pass it you get thrown out of Hogwarts!"   
  
Kay looked at her wide, genuine eyes and pinched white face. For a moment her heart began to thump wildly, then she pulled herself back to reality.   
  
"Don't be so stupid!" she said harshly, making Chime jump and take a step backwards, "It's nonsense! Why should they give test to first years who know hardly any magic? Come on, lets catch up!"  
  
Kay spun on her heel, and marched off after the crowd, expecting Chime to follow her, but she never heard any footsteps start to slap against the tiles. Glancing round she saw Chime's pale, anxious face for a moment, before she took to her heels and ran. Back out the doors.  
  
"Oh dear God," mumbled Kay, as she hesitated for a moment then went haring after her too.  
  
It was indeed, proving to be a very interesting first day at Hogwarts.   
  
00000000oooooooo000000000ooooooooo  
  
Ooooh! So who is the Proffesor? What is Chime's real name? Where are they going to run to? Most importantly, what house will Kay bbe sorted into? Find out next time, and don't forget to review! 


	4. Offending the Hat

Chapter Four  
  
Kay tried to run quickly and quietly, imagining herself as light footed as a hart, but to no avail, her footsteps rang loudly in the chamber. Cringing at how much noise she was making, (did it have to be so bloody echo-y?!) she sped up, until at last the cool night air washed over her once more.  
  
Skidding to a stop, she looked round. Chime could of gone anywhere. But this was a new place to both of them. Where would she go if she was running away? Kay spotted the huge dark shape to her left, and recognised it as the forest, like some werid, giant animal crouching low over the grounds. Chime wouldn't go there, not if she had half a brain.   
  
Her eyes ran over the Lake. After their bad experience with the Squid, Chime would only go in there if she had a death wish or fancied a swim. Somehow, Kay doubted either.   
  
"Come on Kay!" she muttered furiously, "Use your head, she can't of gone far! She doesn't have _wings_ for Gods sake!" Striding purposfully forwards, her feet clacking softly against the path she sharply turned her head this way and that, hair tossing abruptly from one shoulder to the other.  
  
"Dammit Chime, where are you?" she hissed under her breath. A cloud of starlings suddenly shot out from the trees, making her jump and swear violently. A strange, wavering animal call sounded from the heart of the forest, and she shivered, icy fingers trailing down her spine. From far off, a twig snapped. She jerked her head round, but there was nothing there. Wind moaned gently through the trees, making her suck her lip and look in front of her again. She would never admit it, but it was all starting to really creep her out. It made her wish she had Sarwin with her. But Sarwin was safe inside the castle, where she would be if it wasn't for stupid, stupid Chime!  
  
"Chime!" she called faintly, her cracked voice flung upon the wind and blown away. She tried again. "Chime!!" she shouted, but all that answered her was the wind, now hissing as violently as a snake in the leaves.  
  
Straining her eyes through the darkness, she thought she spotted movement, by the far side of the lake, in the shadow of the trees. She narrowed her eyes, heart thudding. Was it Chime? Or was it some beast from the forest, come to lure her away from grounds?   
  
Merlin was on her side at that point. Just as she was contemplating going back to ask for help, the moon came out from behind a cloud, suddenly lighting up the grassy area slightly. It was enough. It was her.   
  
Jogging over, she took in the blue black hair falling over arms wrapped around skinny legs. It was all she could see. Getting closer she realised how fast Chime must of ran, then she thought she must of slipped into the shadows, disturbing the birds that made her jump. It vaguely made sense.  
  
Chime was looking at her as she came over, dark eyes two bottomless pits in her waxy-white face. Kay stopped as she came within three steps of her.  
  
"Chime," she said softly, "What the hell are you afraid of?"   
  
Silence. That was all that filled the air, aside from the muttering of the trees, making the hair rise on Kay's neck. Chime too looked uncomfortable, and she stood up, head hanging, causing her hair to swish over her face like a bizarre inky curtain. She brushed it impatiently behind her ears.   
  
"C'mon Chime," she whispered, holding her hand instinctively in front of her, "Lets go back in." When Chime refused to acknowledge her, she added softly, "You don't get anywhere in life if you don't face things, you know."  
  
She looked up when she said that. Eyes softening slightly. More accepting and understanding... it made quite a startling change.  
  
Then her eyes changed. Kay tuned into it straight away. Frowning, she studied her dark, slitty eyes once more. She was no longer looking at her, gaze fixated on some point over the top of her head, and just as Kay was about to whip round, something clenched her shoulder.  
  
She gasped, then struggled frantically away, panting as though in a race. Turning round she saw a man standing behind her, smooth young face set in very steely resolve, blue eyes creased into a deep frown.  
  
"You two are in so much trouble," he whispered.  
  
For a full moment she locked eyes with him, and heard Chime come forwards to stand firmly beside her. The wind roared, icy cold and bit into her skin. The man said no more, only simply barked, "Follow me!" and swung round, leading them away back to the Castle.  
  
She didn't have to follow him. But then what choice did she have? Unless she ran into the forest, but that was plain stupid. She didn't have a death wish. Numbly, as though in a dream she followed after his striding footsteps, Chime keeping a steady pace with her. Al sorts of wild, half formed thoughts were flung through her head, would they be punished? Expelled? That would be great, she thought wryly, first student ever to be explelled on their first day. Chime's hand bumped aginst hers. At least they were in this together, she reasoned, and felt a little better. Up ahead, the man turned briefly to check they were following.   
  
Once in the soft candle light of the Entrance Hall, he turned to face them. Now she could see him clearly. Blond hair whipped around chubby, good natured features, though this was barely noticeable with the grim look drilled into his face.  
  
"What in Merlins name were you thinking of, running off like that?" he growled harshly, taking them in with cool eyes. "Do you realise just what could of happened to you out there? Right by the Forest?" He leant his face closer, so close Kay could of counted the lines on his forehead. "I'll tell you what. Killed! There are horrors in that forest still unknown to man, and there you are, ignorant as new born babies!" He took a deep breath, as though to calm his nerves, then glared at them. Hard.   
  
"Normally I would keep you out here lecturing you for a very long time," he hissed, narrowing his sky blue eyes, "But as it happens, the idea bores me about as much as it bores you. And there are more important things to be done." He straightened up, then looked round, "The Sorting for one."  
  
From somewhere to her right, Kay sensed Chime stiffen, clenching her fists into balls.  
  
"I'll talk to you later," he finished sharply, then strode up to the wide open doors leading to the Hall. As they both scurried along in his wake, Kay heard the murmuring, cheerful sound of voices getting louder and louder. Briefly she glanced at Chime. She had turned an odd, sickly green colour, but on meeting Kay's eyes she nodded determindly. She was ready. They both were.  
  
They stepped inside.  
  
Warmth washed over Kay, making her eyes water and blink. Comforting light swam into their vision, and she walked forwards as though in a dream. Thousands and thousands of faces, merging into one black and flesh coloured blob stared her down, making her feel smaller and smaller with every step she took. Amused whispering broke out everywhere, making her cheeks flare up instantly. She felt as though she were on stage, the gaze of the entire student popultaion burning her neck. Clenching the inside of her cheek hard, she sped up her walk a little more, studying her shoes intently as she went.  
  
The teacher was waiting for them some yards away, next to a raggedy old top hat. Kay looked at it in confusion. Where were the exam papers, the assault course, the trolls she had to wrestle? Maybe they were in some back room, ready to spring out, take her by suprise? Unconsciencely, she held her hand out, palm forwards, fingers splayed out. Who cared if her wand was in her suitcase? She had known wandless magic since she was an eight year old. The amused whispering grew stronger.  
  
Something jolted in her mind. What the hell was she thinking? She had let her head become warped by Chime! Hastily she rolled up her fingers and tucked her hand into her pocket. As if they would spring a troll on them, for Gods sake!   
  
They stood silently next to the blond teacher. Letting her eyes travel over the students heads, Kay picked up a technicolour blur in the back table. Squinting slightly, she realised it was the Proffesor who had shown them in originally. She caught Kays eye, and smiled cheerfully. Kay smiled weakly back.   
  
The teacher looked down on them, then pulled out of his pocket a crumpled up piece of parchment. After running his finger down it a couple of times, he finally tapped two names.  
  
"When I say your name," he said, a little awkwardly as though he wasn't used to doing this, "You must put on the hat, and it will say some, er, stuff, then it should call out a name. Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, you know the rest." Dull patches of red were rising in his cheeks.  
  
"Right. Ok. Er, Granger, Kaytlin!"  
  
Chime looked over at her, smirking slightly in spite of their situation. "_Kaytlin_?" she mouthed, and Kay scowled at her.  
  
"Shut it!" she whispered back, then sat on the stool, pulling the hat firmly over her head. 'Load of bollocks anyway,' she thought, staring at the black inside of the hat, 'And the person this hat belongs to must have a bloody big head!'  
  
What happened next made her jump so much she nearly fell off the stool in suprise, as a tiny, yet somewhat reproachful voice buzzed in her ear, "I'll have you know, Ms Granger, that my owner died thousands of years ago, and I'd like you to respect that."  
  
'Oh dear God,' thought Kay, gripping the sides of the stool very hard. Was this supposed to happen?  
  
"You bet its meant to happen."  
  
'I'm sorry, I had no idea,' whispered Kay, thinking she may as well be respectful. Then, by way of politeness, she asked, 'Do you miss him much?'  
  
"Very much so. He was a very intelligent man, you know, quite ingenius, but with the unfortunate habit of biting his nails. I believe there may even be an old nail rattling round in my brim still you know, he liked to keep them there for some reason."  
  
Kay cringed. 'Thats disgusting!' she cried out mentally, unable to prevent a shudder.  
  
"_You_ think its disgusting? Try being me, the one who has to keep them! Why there was even one time... oh, listen to me, rabbiting away. I'm supposed to be sorting you into a house now, not discussing old times. Perhaps another time?"  
  
'Uh, yeah," thought Kay, 'Maybe.'  
  
"Hmmm. Lets have a look. Well, theres bravery... yes, sheesh, certainly that, my old master would be proud!... intelligence, pride, stubborness... well that doesn't narrow down much. Oh my goodness, theres kindness, bet you didn't know you had that did you? Calmness... but whats this? My dear, why do you have some part of your mind closed off? Secrecy, even from me. Where to put you? Where to put you..."  
  
There was silence. Kay fidgeted. The voice took to muttering to itself, and every now and then she caught snatches of sentences, like, "Oh no, definatly not there," and "Yet another suprise!" or, "But if you take that into consideration..."  
  
'Look,' Kay blurted out, getting impatient, 'Can you please hurry up and sort me already? I'm bored!'  
  
"Fine," said the hat coldly, "I'll make a snap decision. Its been whittled down to two houses anyway."  
  
'Well, go on then!'  
  
"Very well... I place you in... GRYFFINDOR!"

000ooooooo000oooooo000

(Snigger) So you though she was a Slytherin, hmmm? Nah. Would a Slytherin run out into the night after someone they barely knew, at their own risk? Her rudeness and stubborness is her way of protecting herself. I know, we haven't solved some mysteries yet, (like, who IS the rainbow teacher exactly???) but they should be told in the next chapter, or next... I don't know. Thank you so much for those of you who reviewed? Sure, they wern't many, but (shrugs) with this story I'm not too bothered. Please review if you have read! Thanks! xxxxx


	5. Annoying Little Bleeeps!

Chapter Five  
  
It was to tumultaneous applause when Kay lifted the still muttering hat from her head and scurried over to the loudly cheering table. Her grey eyes swept the bench, before finally choosing a place at the end of the table, where not many were sitting. It was never in her nature to like being in crowds, but as she sat down, a scruffy haired boy stuck out his hand.  
  
"Hi!" he whispered eagerly, as the clapping died down, "I'm Jasper!"  
  
"I'm sure you are," Kay looked doubtfully at the hand, before shaking it quickly once, then turning round in her seat to watch Chime. She was on tenterhooks, waiting for her name to be read out, but just as the blond teacher opened his mouth-  
  
"You're Kaytlin right?"  
  
"No!" Kay clenched her cheek with her teeth in frustration. Chime was nervously approaching the Hat, and she hadn't heard the name! It had sounded something like Pam Reely or something. She stared at what she could see of her face in disbelief. How could someone like Chime ever be called Pam???  
  
"You ARE called Kaytlin, thats what Proffesor Longbottom said! Liar liar pants on fire!"  
  
Kay felt like punching him. "For your information, my name is NOT Kaytlin, for Merlins sake!" she snarled, but never once took her eyes off Chime. She was frowning, as though concentrating very hard on something, and her lips were moving slightly, but Kay couldn't make out what she was saying.  
  
"You're silly."  
  
Kay unglued her eyes from Chime, and slowly turned her head to look at the boy properly. He had a soppy kind of smirk on his face, an irritating expression of, "I know something you don't know!" which wound her up big time.  
  
"Are you," she growled through clenched jaws, "For real?" her eyes were narrowed to slits, and her hands were set firmliy on the table before her, leaning forwards slightly. It was a pose that struck fear into the hearts of many opponents, but either this boy just hadn't noticed or he was too stupid to be affected. His grin got wider.  
  
"I said," he snickered, mirroring her, "That you're silly, silly, silly!"  
  
"You little-!"  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
An explosion of cheering set up around her, making her start out of her skin. Whipping round she saw Chime get up from the stool, smiling broadly and making her way towards her, long inky curtain of hair swishing out behind her. She seemed to be acheiving rather more enthusiastic clapping from a few boys, whos heads turned to follow her progress up the hall. She barely seemed to notice however, and ran slightly to get to Kay.  
  
"Alright Kaytlin?" she teased gently as she sat next to her. Kay glared coldly at her.  
  
"If you're going to call me that then you can go sit somewhere else."  
  
"Joke! Merlin. I think its a nice name, though, quite pretty."  
  
"Well I don't. People call me Kay if they call me anything."  
  
"I don't. I call you Scorch!"  
  
"And I call you Kaytlin!"  
  
Chime threw the boy a startled glance, then looked at Kay, who looked ready to kill. "Who're you?" she asked bluntly, raising her eyebrows.  
  
"Jasper," replied the boy proudly, leaning back in his chair.  
  
"Jasper who?"  
  
"Jasper It's None Of Your Buisness."  
  
"Oh, charming," remarked Kay drily, turning away from him. An unusual hush had fallen over most of the student population, and a thin, stern looking woman had climbed to her feet. Her grey white hair had been raked back into the tightest bun imaginable, and her piercing eyes seemed to laser straight through them all.  
  
"Welcome to yet another year at Hogwarts!" she stated crisply, but a flash of warmth seemed to sound through her voice, and her eyes softened as she raised them, looking up to the enchanted ceiling, "For those of you who don't know, I am Professor McGonagal, Headmistress. Before we begin our feast, I must say, to what most of you will know off by heart, a few start of term notices. The forest in the grounds is strictly forbidden-" here Kay exchanged a glance with Chime, "and Argus Filch would like me to announce the following items have been banned from the corridors: Canary Creams in any shape or form, Sticky- back puddles, Movable footprints, Laser Lollypops, and Exploding Knuts. The list, as always can be found stuck to our caretakers door if any of you feel the urge to check it. It now consists, I should presume of some 5,250 items..." here the Professor had the tiniest hint of rolling her eyes, "That will be all. Oh, no, one more thing. Due to the confusion of most of our first year students last year, I will be introducing your heads of years. Please pay attention carefully, first years."  
  
With that she swept round, motioning with her hands for several people to stand, and at once four teachers stood up from what Kay presumed was the staff table.  
  
"It's her!" Kay faintly heard Chime breathe, and without asking she knew who the 'her' was. In a technicolour wave the woman who had shown them in rose upwards, brushing back her waist length, purple ringlets.  
  
"Professor Longbottom, head of Gryffindor house." The blond teacher who had captured Kay and Chime in the grounds nodded his head, friendly blue eyes roving over the huge sea of heads. Kay raised her eyebrows at him, not sure whether to clap or what, but the headmistress moved on quickly.  
  
"Professor Snape, head of Slytherin house." A dark haired, sallow skinned man gave no response, but his calculating black eyes seem to give an answer all to themselves. Briefly, Kay stared over at him. His long, pale fingers were flexing in and out of balls, and he surveyed them all with haughty distaste. Momentarily, his eyes flickered over on to her. He gazed at her for a moment, the look on his face oddly closed and blank. Then he looked away.  
  
"Professor Arineland. head of Hufflepuff house." A plump, merry looking woman gave a cheerful wave, looking seriously over happy, Kay decided. Perhaps she got high a lot.  
  
"And last but not least, head of Ravenclaw house...", here the rainbow woman put her head on one side in acknowledgement,"Professor Lovegood! Now, try to remember this won't you? With that out the way, let the feast begin!"  
  
And with a sudden snap that made Kay jump (though she would never admit it) the magnificent platters before them were filled with succulent looking food. A hot, steamy smell rose off them and filled the air, and after having had nothing but sweets all day even Kay had to admit it was delicious.  
  
People began chattering almost at once, and Kay, gnawing on a drumstick listening rather than joined in. Certainly there was a lot to listen to, one girl with cream coloured braids in the year above her was excitedly telling anyone who would listen that she was dating 'George' now, and a pair of brown haired boys dived straight into a joke telling contest. Basically, it was making Kay feel sick to the stomach.  
  
'Urugh! Just how quaint and corny is this place?' she thought, trying hastily to stop listening as Braid girl began describing just how good a kisser George was, and the Joke boys latest crap joke (Doctor, Doctor, I feel like a spoon! Well lie on the edge of your bed and don't stir.) To her suprise, Chime gave a snort of laughter.  
  
"What?" she asked defensively as Kay looked incredulously at her, "It was funny!"  
  
"You think weird muggle jokes like that are funny? God, my mum comes out with ones like them all the time!"  
  
"I know a better joke than that!"  
  
Both girls stopped and slowly looked over the table, to where a big, soppy face was smirking at them.  
  
"Good for you!" snapped Kay, "Now go tell someone who gives a damn!" Chime nudged her.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Hasn't anyone ever taught you the subtle art of tact!"  
  
"Chime, he is annoying. Annoying people like that do not get tact. What about this do you not understand!"  
  
Chime only sighed and shook her head, then went back to eating. The boy called Jasper seemed to have got bored and was now pestering the joke boys. Looking round, Kay surveyed the place around her, glaring at anyone who looked back at her. Hardly anyone did, they were all too busy swopping stories, the whole Hall an excited chatting mass.  
  
Her eyelids drooped. It had been a long day. After stifleing a yawn with difficulty, she slumped down in her seat, for once too full to eat anything more. A total sense of comfort descended upon her, for once in her life she felt totally secure, warm and comfortable. Everything at home seemed so far away here. Insignificant.  
  
Someone prodded her arm. "Hey, Scorch," Chime's voice said as though from very far away, "Come on, McGonnagal just said we can go!"  
  
Trudging out the enormous doors after her anxious friend, Kay turned and took another long look at the Great Hall. At the staff table she could see Professor Lovegood and Longbottom having what looked like quite a row, though both were keeping it quiet so the other Professors wouldn't hear. Kay frowned. Professor Lovegood was looking really quite upset, tugging furiously on his sleeve, and Professor Longbottom agaitated.  
  
"Scorch! What are you looking at? Lets go!"  
  
Shaking her head and accepting that it had nothing to do with her, Kay turned and ran after Chime's retreating back, still wondering...  
  
It looked like Hogwarts held more mysteries than even 'Hogwarts, A History' told her about.  
  
0o0o0o0o0o0  
  
Bleh, sorry about the crappy chapter. Also sorry about the late update. If you are a reader of Why confess to You? I'm so sorry for not being able to update that! My laptop is being a twat and refusing to connect to the internet again. I've got it all written up, so the moment the i net connection works again I can update! Anyway, review pretty please. And if you think this story sucked then go read 'Out of Blood and Flesh' by Rockabilly. I'm telling you , that story is bloody brilliant and it is NOT RECIEVING THE ATTENTION IT DESERVES. It does not contain slash in case you were wondering. When you review this story just tell me you are going to at least read it. Cheers!  
  
Mooncheese xxx 


	6. Living through a hurricane

Halllo! I am here, with power. This entire chapter is dedicated to Rockabilly, one of my bestest ever friends for being such a great mate and cheering me up and making me feel I can live through the rest of my secondary school life after all. And all without singing, "Always, look on the bright side of life, be doop, bee doop, bee doop bee doop!" Love ya Katie!

Chapter... something or other.  
  
Crying... sobs echoing through her mind...  
  
"Kay..."  
  
Kay was running. Her feet pounded on the ground again and again, yet her body was moving agonisingly slow, like wading through treacle. She was panting with effort, sweat running down her face, but she could hear them catching up and in a final desperate action she started crawling, hands coming out, one-after-the -other...  
  
"Kay! KAY!" She was being shaken roughly, something gripping her shoulders and throwing her body around...  
  
With a scream Kay sat up and wrenched open her eyes, hands waving wildly before her. "Stop it, go away!" her throaty voice rasped, as Chime's familiar black hair swam into vision. Dark eyes gazed anxiously into her own, and she recognised the grip on her shoulder as a hand gently shaking her. Where was she?!  
  
"Scorch," breathed Chime, glancing over her shoulder, "Will you wake up!"  
  
Kay blinked at her for a moment, breath coming in short, uneven gasps. Raising her eyes over Chime's shoulder, she thought she heard giggles from behind her, though the scarlet curtain, half drawn hid them from view. Angrily, she pushed Chime away and stood up, muttering, "I'm ok, Chime. Bad dream, s'all." Then she ripped back the material.  
  
Last night, Kay had been so tired she'd barely been able to take in a thing about her dorm. Now in the new light of day she thought it looked bigger, and spacious. The deep gold walls were bare, though it had two huge windows revealing dramatic views of mountains surrounding them, contrasting sharply against the ice blue sky. There were five four poster beds, some rumpled like hers or smoothly made, like the ones behind the two girls who were standing in front of her.  
  
The pair of them giggled more as Kay faced them, cheeks still flushed from her fevered sleep and in her grey nightshirt that came down to her knees. One of them had short blond hair cut into a layered bob, and the other was taller, with immaculate brown hair pulled back into a bun. Both had identical smirks plastered to their faces, that increased rapidly as Kay took a step towards them.  
  
"Is there something funny?" Kay asked softly, narrowing her eyes and giving them a very cold stare. The brown haired one looked wary and stepped back, but the other stepped forwards, leering at her.  
  
"Uhh, whats your problem then? Got out the wrong side of bed?" she promptly cracked up at her own joke, her friend joining in.  
  
Kay looked at them. Then she turned and glanced up at the clock hanging on the wall, and deducted that she really didn't have the time to decapitate them right now. Without a second glance at anyone she crossed to a door on the other side of the room, pulled it open then slammed it closed. She tugged her nightshirt moodily over her head, turning on one of the showers as she went, for she was in a communial bathroom. As the stinging spray of water shot onto her head, she growled to herself.  
  
Things were not going too well.  
  
oo  
  
"What are their names?"  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Them, of course!" Kay waved her piece of toast irritably over at the catty girls, who had laughed at her that morning, and in doing so scattered crumbs everywhere. The boy oppasite gave her a scandalised look.  
  
"Do you mind? That went all over my bacon!"  
  
"Not really," Kay said, glaring over at the girls. Giving a small 'humph!' the boy rose, taking his plate with him to go and sit somewhere else, throwing a most offended look over his shoulder, which was completely wasted on Kay as she didn't even see it.  
  
"Yet another person you've offended!" snapped Chime, tugging one of Kay's soft brown ringlets, "And stop looking at them for heavens sake, they'll see!"  
  
"Exactly," Kay replied, then tossed her head violently, "Get off Chime!"  
  
"Merlin, why are you so touchy about everything! And I don't know what their names are. Why don't you try asking them?!"  
  
Kay opened her mouth to give a stinging retort, then out the corner of her eye she noticed Chime was really looking quite down, stabbing viciously at her bacon. Abrupty closing her mouth, she unglued her gaze from the girls and turned to face her.  
  
"Sorry," she said, a little gruffly, "They just get to me, people like that. I didn't mean to have a go at you."  
  
Chime glanced suspiciously round at her, seemingly a little shell shocked by the fact Kay was actually apologising, then gave a little chuckle.  
  
"No prob," she said airily, as though they were discussing the weather, then looked up at the enchanted ceiling. "Mum said she would be writing to me, I wonder how- aragh!"  
  
Kay looked round, then ducked as a huge barn owl swept right over her head. Slightly the hairs on the top of her head lifted in the aftermath of its huge wings, then owls were all around them, wings flapping excitedly in her face, knocking over goblets with resounding clangs and upsetting plates of bacon. Chime made a wild grab for her plate and hastily hid it under the table as a brown owl made a greedy dash for it. "Piss off you!" she shouted, as the owl gave her a reproachful look and turned away. Kay couldn't help but grin.  
  
From somewhere to her right, she heard an excited squawk. A horribly familiar squawk. Turning her head, full of dread she groaned as she spotted what seemed to be an over large pile of dust with wings and talons, fighting frantically with another owl for someones egg whites.  
  
"Oh, God no," she murmured, closing her eyes and trying to block out the hyperactive owls screechings, "Please don't let him see me. Please don't let him see me. Please..." from somewhere far off she heard a cry of "Get off me, you stupid owl! My word, whoever owns you?" and she moaned again. Stupid, stupid Ron!  
  
"You could of used a post owl," she whispered, keeping her eyes firmly clamped together, "You could of borrowed someone elses owl. You could of waited a week or something! But no-" here she snapped open her eyes in horror, "You just had to use Chicken. Thanks a bunch, Ron. Cheers."  
  
The next thing she knew she was hit by a hurricane of feathers and claws. "Ouch!" she screamed, batting it away fiercely, "Go away, you dumb owl, get away!" The whirlwind was seemingly unaffected by her insults, and instead perched proudly atop her head, staring round with triumphant eyes. In an instant Kay swept it off. Someone laughed loudly, and her cheeks burned. Chime stifled a snigger.  
  
"That your owl Scorch?"  
  
"No!" Kay glared at her, fumbling with the parchment tied round the birds scaly leg, "This is my idiotic step fathers pet!" she spat the last word viciously, stabbing moodily at Chickens fluffy chest. He hooted angrily, and flapped his wings right in her face. With Kay tugging at the letter and with the owl trying to take off, it ended up with the paper being ripped right down the middle, finally freeing him, and leaving Kay with half the letter.  
  
"Stupid bird!" Kay shouted after him, remains of the letter scrunched in her fist. Briefly she glanced at it, then smoothed it out. She sighed. "Oh well, good excuse not to write back I guess. Hey, look, you've got something." For an orderly, prim looking owl had just landed on Chime's shoulder, looking in distaste at Chickens retreating back as though he were as disgraced as Kay was. Quietly, he stuck out his leg, and at the same time throwing a look at Kay which to her mind said, "Good job some owls know how to behave."  
  
"Shut it you," Kay thought back, "I might not have a well behaved owl, but I happen to have a snake, and she'll eat you as a feathery little snack if you don't watch it." Great, now she was talking with owls. She was mad. But so shoot her, the world was mad.  
  
Chime was reading her smooth, untorn letter with a falling face. Lock by lock, her hair slipped forwards to block her expression, until finally all Kay was looking at was a curtain of hair. Curiously she stared at the back of the letter. What was in it that was so bad to make Chime look like that? Hesitantly, she tapped Chime on the shoulder.  
  
"Er- whats that then?"  
  
Jumping slightly, Chime looked up. "Oh, nothing!" she said, stuffing it into her pocket, "Just- um- news from my dad. Nothing special. So, er, what have we got first?"  
  
Kay stared at her. She was acting quite jumpy, pale face even whiter than usual but deciding to go along with it she said, "Transfiguration I think. Looking forward to it?"  
  
0000oooo0000oooo  
  
Oh, what a wonderful ending I know! Review, pleeeease no-ones reading this! Oh, apart from Rockabilly, who is wonderfully nice to me by leaving a fun packed review for my enjoyment, but it would be nice to have a review from someone I DON'T know... ah well. See ya!


	7. Unfortunate, You might say

Heya people. Finally, my bro has uploaded Word onto the computer, so I don't have to write on Notepad and get loads of spellings wrong! Woo ooh! Woo ooh! Yeah so anyway, readers of Why Confess to You, ff has taken it down. I was outraged, really I was, and all because the summary apparently wasn't g rated. I can't go on about it too long or I will start to swear and cry because I put so much effort into that story! Go read my profile and e mail me if you want to comment on it.

That is the third time a story of mine has been removed. FF are probably now watching me REAL closely, so I'll probably end up creating a new account and re posting my story on that. Watch out for anything new!

**Chapter 7**

_Hey sweetie,  
_

_How are things on your side of the country? Things are just fine over here… well Ron lost his socks but they were his maroon ones your grandmother sent him so… well you know what he's like. I'll probably find it jammed in some poor hiding place, like under his pillow!_

_Is everything ok for you at Hogwarts? I've heard that Professor McGonagall is the head there now. Not a bad old stick really, but very stern. Don't get up to mischief, and you'll stay on her good side! Trust me that can come in very useful sometimes, why I remember…_

_Well I'm sure you don't want me babbling on about my old school times. Oh, Ron just looked over my shoulder; he says to tell you about th…_

Kay hopefully flipped her torn parchment over under the desk, but the letter did not cover both sides. Sighing irritably, she straightened up to jam the letter unceremoniously into her pocket. Despite her offhand words that morning, she had felt a flicker of homesickness as she looked over her mother's familiar, neat handwriting and would have quite liked to find out what Ron wanted her to know. Up the front, her transfiguration teacher Professor Arineland clucked and bustled about like a mother hen. God she was annoying. After being there for a mere ten minutes, she had already referred to Kay as "chock", had pinched someone's cheek when they told her their name and her motherly, Scottish voice was driving Kay up the wall.

"Ah now love, would yeh like to just step up here and read out page one?" Kay jumped violently as the annoying voice chirped out right in front of her, and she scowled at the cheerfully grinning face before her.

"Not really," she said coldly, and smirked as the face went through an astonishing change.

"No, chock?" Kay grimaced, "But why not?" The woman went scarlet as Kay shot her an awful look, and hastily blundered on, "Well, if you're not feelin' up to it, I'm sure someone else would be so kind…?"

Professor Arineland looked round hopefully, trying to catch someone's eye. Instantly, everyone looked out the window, or down at their knees, flushing red. An awkward silence filled the classroom, and Arineland looked disappointed.

Then someone put their hand up.

"Yes! You?" Professor Arineland pointed one plump finger somewhere behind Kay, and without a word she heard someone scrape their stool back and come towards the beaming professor, holding their hands out for the book.

Kay stared. The boy took the textbook confidently in his hands, sauntered up to the front, and flipped open the cover. He had short, spiky blond hair and quite tall even for an eleven year old. Silently, his eyes roved down the page, then looked up at the teacher.

"Where d'you want me to start?"

His voice was a melodious echo in the large room, and around her Kay felt a few people stir slightly, as though leaning forwards to listen properly.

"From the top of page one, if you please!" trilled the scots voice behind her now, and after scanning the page again, he began to read.

"Transfiguration is a subject that requires much concentration and skill. All you will need in this subject is your wand, your brain, and this book!" The boy paused slightly as though suppressing a snigger, then carried on. "As with all things, you will begin from the beginning," here the boy had the slightest hint of rolling his eyes, and Kay felt her lips twitch. "First off, you will be attempting to transform a matchstick into a needle, and as simple as this may seem, it will be very hard. But remember: if at first you don't succeed, try, try again!"

A simultaneous giggle swept the room. No matter how innocently the boy was handing back the book to the teacher now, no-one had missed the scathing edge to his voice as he read out the last three words. Kay found her eyes following him as he walked past her desk. He was definitely something of an individual.

"Thank you for that, erm, Joseph was it?" The boy shot the professor an icy look. For a moment he opened his mouth as though to contradict her, then he closed it again and sat down without uttering a word.

Kay felt an enormous urge to turn round and talk to him, but she resisted against it. Letting her teacher's voice wash over her, she settled down to day dream…

0o0

"Oh, Ginny, they're so beautiful!"

The young, red haired woman smiled down at the sleeping bundles in both her brother's and Hermione's arms, and laughed. Ron was holding Talli as though he were cradling a china cup, and looked terrified about it. Hermione glanced up into Ginny's eyes, and shared an amused look with her. Then she looked back down at her own bundle, trying to hold him as comfortably as she could over her own growing bump, then chuckled as the baby opened his eyes, to reveal huge, wondering blue orbs.

"Talli and Rigel," she said dreamily, "Oh, Ginny, look! He's looking at me!" From next to her, Ron gave a tiny squeak.

"Can someone take her from me, I think she's slipping out!" Ginny gave a cackle of very evil sounding laughter, and reached out to take her one week old baby girl from Ron's sweating clutches.

"Honestly Ron, you're not going to break her!" Talli gave a tiny snuffle of agreement, one tiny, pink fist protruding out her blankets, then nestling back in again. Ron stared in amazement.

"'Mione, did you see that? She waved at me!" he gabbled excitedly, tugging on Hermione's sleeve and jogging Talli's twin brother, Rigel and making him wail. Ron shrank back, looking horrified.

"Oh no, I've made him cry! Ginny, I'm so sorry…" Hermione shook her head at Ron who was bearing a very worried expression on his face, and flipped Rigel expertly up onto her shoulder, patting his back.

He immediately quietened down.

"I can't believe there's another set of identical twins in the family!" she smiled at Ginny, who was rolling her eyes at Ron.

"Yeah," she replied, "Fred and George were well chuffed. They visited yesterday, and seemed very disappointed that they didn't _do _anything except sleep. Fred kept poking Rigel, then ran off when he started crying, the idiot!" Close too, Ginny looked very tired, dark circles smudging round her eyes. Hermione smiled sympathetically, she remembered how exhausting it was for her when Kay was born. At least Ginny had loads of people and a husband to help her out, when they had let Hermione home from the hospital she had had no-one…

"Here, let's swap twins Ginny, I haven't had a cuddle with Talli yet."

Ron gave her a surprised look. "But Hermione, they're identical!"

Hermione tutted and took Talli from Ginny, "Just because they're identical, Ron doesn't mean that they're the same baby. Honestly!" With the new twin in her arms, she settled back and looked into Talli's tiny face.

She was awake now, thanks to being passed around like a parcel, and she gazed up at Hermione, eyes as blue as her brother's. One hand stretched out, and smiling Hermione put out a finger, letting the baby's fingers clasp round it with amazing strength for something so tiny. A chord of recognition struck through Hermione's heart at the feel of those small, monkey- like digits gripping onto hers, and as she looked into those deep, curious eyes she felt another powerful memory flood into her mind…

_Flash. _

_Hermione sat in a corner, knees drawn up to her chest, hair spilling over her trembling arms. From the room next door, heart wrenching screams from her new baby drove stakes of terror through her skin, and moaning she clamped her hands over her ears. _

"_Help me…please…" she whispered, hot, desperate tears running down her cheeks as the screaming turned urgent and her heart banged frantically inside her, "Someone…help me…"_

"Hermione? Hermione?" Something was shaking her shoulder, and with a start Hermione looked up. Ron was gazing worriedly into her eyes, and the little squeak below her alerted her to the fact her niece was slipping off her lap. Hastily, she hitched her more securely into place.

She looked up. Ginny was gazing at her with a little frown on her face, and suddenly she leant forwards, taking Talli from her arms as though frightened she might drop her.

"Hermione… are you ok?" she asked, looking as concerned as Ron. Hermione offered her a weak smile.

"I'm fine. Someone just walked over my grave."

Rising upwards, she looked at Ginny and asked if she could use the loo, to which of course Ginny replied with a yes, still looking at her strangely. Hermione walked out the room, and went into Ginny's downstairs toilet, and locked the door, her mind spinning.

They were coming faster, these memories, and more frequently. And, even though Hermione was intent on finding out who Kay's father was, she didn't want them to. She really, really didn't.

"Wingardium Leviosa! Oh, for goodness sake!"

Chime whacked her wand hard on the side of the table, then uttering a barely stifled shriek as it made a noise like shot gun and burnt the table leg.

"Scorch! Help me!"

Looking round, she sighed in irritation as she realised Kay hadn't even been paying attention to her poor efforts at Charms. She was sitting, chin resting peacefully on one hand, and gazing into space.

"Scorch!"

Still she paid no heed, and it was only when Chime grabbed one of her curls and yanked it hard did she finally look round.

"What was _that _for?!"

Chime threw her wand onto the floor with a clatter. "It's your turn to try and make the damn thing levitate now!" Kay looked at her in mild surprise.

"Is that all?"

Chime grinned. "You just wait till you try, you won't be saying that then!"

Picking up her wand, Kay glanced over at the back of Joseph's head. "Wingardium Leviosa!" she hissed, gently flicking her wand at the feather on the desk. Much to her un-surprise, the feather rose to hover about 4 feet in the air above them.

Chime's mouth was hanging open. "No…way," she mumbled, staring so hard her eyes looked in danger of falling out, "Scorch… that's brilliant!"

Kay scoffed. "No it's not! I've been able to do this for ages, and that was when I didn't have a wand." Expertly, she gave the wand a tiny twist and flick, guiding the feather back to the desk. Chime's eyes bugged.

"_You can do wandless magic?" _

"Sure, why not?" Kay asked coolly, flicking her wand again, and making the feather do the loop-the-loop just before it hit the table. Chime shook her head and sat back, looking slightly put out.

"That is so unfair! And I can't even do it with a wand!"

Kay looked at her uncertainly, from the corner of her eye, and laid her wand carefully back on the table.

"I can't do anything. I couldn't turn my match into a pin, yet you did that on first go as well!" Chime stopped and looked down at her hands, slightly embarrassed at her outburst. Then, deciding she may as well finish speaking her mind, she completed in a small voice, "I wish I could do magic like you."

Kay hesitated. "I can do magic because I always could," she started awkwardly, "When I was little, and I could explode things when I got angry, people just used to shout at me for it. So I had to control it, in a way…" she trailed off, going red. It was always hard to discuss her childhood with anyone. Chime remained looking unconvinced.

"Have another go," Kay suggested, "Only this time… well, I reckon it helps if you look at it and imagine it floating just before you do it. Then do it like you know you can."

"Well, that's a load of help," Chime said sarcastically, but picked up her wand none the less, and stared at the feather hard, before pointing her wand at it without any real conviction.

"Wingardium Leviosa."

Needless to say, it didn't move.

Kay looked at her pale, disappointed face and felt annoyance flare up inside her. "Now look!" she snapped, making Chime jump, "You don't just mumble the words! _Point _that thing at the feather and shout the damn incantation!"

A few people around her fell silent and Chime flushed red. "Scorch, people are looking!" she hissed, swallowing and glancing round. Kay groaned, smacking her palm to her head. "Chime, just do it!"

Scarlet, Chime waved her wand awkwardly. "Wingardium Leviosa!" she said loudly, but the feather remained determinedly still. A snigger went around the classroom as people turned away, whispering to each other. Kay glared at them.

"What are you laughing at? I'd like to see _you _do better!"

Chime buried her face in her hands. Kay looked at her incredulously. "What, you're not crying are you?" she growled, and Chime looked up at once, face contorted with anger.

"Of course I'm not bloody crying!" she spat, running a finger swiftly across her eyes, and Kay saw the tears at once.

"Yeah you are. Crying because you can't do something!" she shook her head in disgust, noting Chime getting steadily whiter with rage, and inwardly smiling.

"I am not crying!"

"Are too. Crying because you can't perform a spell!"

Chime snatched up her wand, holding it like a knife, pointing it at Kay. Kay jeered. "Yeah, like you could actually do anything to me with that! You can't even make a feather move!"

Chime screamed in frustration, whirling round her wand to almost jab it at the feather she roared, "WINGARDIUM LEVIOSA!"

_Whoosh. _Up, the feather went, and not only did it rise and hover, but it shot right to the ceiling, hitting it with such force it broke cleanly in two, and the two halves ricocheted off the uneven ceiling. One piece, no-one knew where that went. As for the other, well, only the Professor knew the pain of _that _getting firmly wedged in her gaping mouth…

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Another chapter done and dusted, yay, hurrah and whoopee. Review, if you please, and cheer me up with the loss of my other story.


	8. Meeting the Heads

"This is all your fault."

Kay frowned and tossed her hair at Chime's misery filled face. "Well, at least you got it to levitate. That's the important thing."

"Levitate? I didn't just make it levitate, Scorch, I got it rammed down the bloody teachers throat!"

Kay bit her lip for a moment, struggling against the impulse to laugh, then shrugged and sighed, "Not my fault you got carried away, Chime."

They were both seated outside a rounded, highly polished door on a large platform before a spinning staircase. It reminded Kay slightly of muggle escalators, only grander, and more twirly. They had been sent there by a hysterical teacher, who after a huge bout of choking and coughing, finally brought up the offending item and ordered them to the head teachers office.

And here they were.

"It is too your fault! You were winding me up!"

"I was trying to get you psyched up enough to actually perform the spell, and it worked didn't it?" Kay grinned at Chime's exasperated face, "The feather flew didn't it? Powerful bit of magic there, Chime."

Chime looked ready to reach out and strangle Kay with her bare hands, but whatever she was about to say was cut off as the door finally opened with a tiny 'click.'

The old woman Kay had seen in the Great Hall the night before stood before them now, though the look on her face was not of a humble grandmother's. Briefly, her stern gaze swept the both of them, before holding the door open. "Come in."

Her atmosphere left in her wake was quite frightening as Kay and Chime meekly followed her in. The door closed with a resounding bang behind them, making Chime jump. Kay refused to jump. She stood still, taking in the place around her with one quick glance.

A beautiful, circular room was what she was standing in, and the midday sun spilled across one of the large windows over the floor, like a golden puddle. Portraits of men and women whom she didn't know snoozed gently in chairs or leaned on the side of their frame, eyes closed and breathing heavily.

Professor McGonagall walked briskly, her shoes tapping on the wooden floor to reach her desk, and nervously the two of the followed after her, to stand before her desk, and watched the stern Professor sink into her chair, then lean forwards, staring up at the two of them through calculating eyes.

She consulted a piece of parchment. "Miss Granger, and Miss Weasley, I presume?" she asked sharply, and Kay suddenly felt her legs buckle. Her eyes wide, she looked round at Chime, who gave an affirmative nod, then frowned at her.

"You're a _Weasley_??" Kay gasped, glaring at her, "And you didn't _tell _me!"

Chime simply looked at her like she had gone mad. "Yeah, so what?" she asked, a slight edge to her voice, and Kay thumped a palm to her head, unable to take it in. Chime couldn't be a Weasley, that would make her related to Ron, and she looked nothing _like _one!

"But, your hair…?" Kay shook her head, staring at Chime's beautiful thick, blue black hair. How could she possibly be related to Ron?

"What about it?" Chime sounded really hacked off now, and Kay was about to retort in the hardest way possible, when McGonagall interrupted, and she sounded slightly peeved as well.

"If you _don't _mind," she asked icily, "Perhaps we could get back to the topic at hand?"

Kay immediately turned back to her, mind spinning. McGonagall was regarding them both with a hint of curiosity in her eyes, but her words revealed none as she continued speaking.

"Tell me, if you please, which one of you was it that cast the spell?"

Chime, trembling from head to toe gave a tiny squeak. McGonagall looked at her.

"I beg your pardon, Miss Weasely?"

"I said," whispered Chime, her eyes darting over the room, "It was me."

McGonagall looked at her intently. "I see," she said gravely, and rustled some papers on her desk busily. "Then you shall be the one to explain to me how all this came about." Her piercing grey eyes looked right through Chime, who was trying very hard to remain eye contact with her. As she launched into a detailed description of events, Kay let her gaze wander round the room.

Next to the Head's desk was a golden perch, though there was nothing on top of it. Kay presumed it was for an owl or bird of some kind, when she thought she could make out some kind of inscription, on a plaque at the bottom. Intrigued, she strained to read what it was, but the writing was too far away, and too curvy for her to read.

Disappointed, she looked away from the perch and around at the walls, and the paintings upon them. They all featured important looking men and women, that much she had derived before, only directly in front of her, above McGonagall's head was a different portrait.

It wasn't so different because of the way it was painted, or of the clothes the man was wearing. Indeed, the robes did set him very much apart from all the others, as he was wearing robes of shining midnight blue, scattered with silver stars and planets. No, what made this man so different was, contrary to all his neighbours he was sitting up in the chair he was painted on, eyes looking right at her from over the top of his specs, and being very much awake.

There was something very discerning about being stared at from someone in a picture, but Kay wouldn't let herself be intimidated. She glared right back, and much to her surprise the man leant down, white beard tumbling over his arms as he felt around under his chair, never breaking eye contact with her. Then finally he smiled, brought up a bag of something, and took out… a sweet? Kay shook her head, widening her eyes as the man popped the sweet in his mouth and settled himself more comfortably in his chair, watching the goings on with interest.

"…as you know, harming a teacher is very serious, but it seems you have had a great deal to do with it as well, Miss Granger."

With difficulty, Kay tore her eyes from the chomping bearded man, who was smiling benignly at her and looked at the Professor.

"Sorry?" she blurted out, looking at the Professor with mild surprise, "What was that?"

From in front of her, she thought she heard a low chuckle. Her eyes swung back to the Portrait, and saw him push two sweets in his mouth at once, and grinning stickily.

"Miss Granger!"

McGonagall was looking at her sharply, and Kay felt rather annoyed. "What?" she asked, trying desperately to stop watching the man, who had taken it into his painted mind to start throwing sweets through the frame and into the next one. The sweets pinged of the large, bald head of a man dressed in brown, who obviously awoke abruptly, then picked the sweet off the floor of his painting, looking rather annoyed.

"Miss Granger, do pay attention!" McGonagall was on her feet, looking furious. Kay started, looking back at her. "It's _him!_" she shouted, in rage, pointing a finger at the portrait behind her, and slowly McGonagall turned around, sighing in frustration.

"Albus," Kay heard her say through what sounded like gritted teeth, "Do you _mind_? This is a serious matter!"

Albus put his head on one side, considering McGonagall through golden spectacles. "Ah, but Minerva!" he declared, looking thoroughly amused, "It is truly a privilege to be sitting on the sidelines, watching and not being the one who has to make all the decisions!" Amiably, he popped another sweet into his mouth, and spoke slowly, with his mouth full. "And from what the other portraits have told me, being a painting is even more boring than it sounds. I intend to enjoy it while the novelty is still fresh to me!"

McGonagall's back rose slowly up and down, and Kay could picture an incredibly frustrated face. "Twelve years, Albus!" she said, "Twelve years of being a portrait and the novelty still hasn't worn off?"

"No, Minerva, and it has yet to wear off for a long time. You'll understand when you become one." Albus' eyes twinkled merrily, and McGonagall turned her back firmly on him, facing Kay and Chime once more.

"It seems to me the whole thing was an accident," she spoke stiffly, "Now get out and be sure never to do it again."

Chime needed no further encouragement, in a flash she ran to the door and tugged it open, and after a moments consideration Kay followed after her.

"Oh, and Miss Granger?"

Kay halted, and looked over her shoulder. McGonagall was standing, and looking through her wire rimmed glasses with an unreadable expression on her face.

"Please try to remember that Miss Weasley is not Ronald Weasley."

Kay looked at her stonily for a moment, then turned and left without a word.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Sorry about the short chappie, but I'm really tired and I wanted to get this up quickly... Yawns Please review, I need input!


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